Possibility of Direct Conversion of CH4 and CO2 to High-Value Products

The possibilities of low-temperature activation of CH4 and hydrogenation of CO2 were analyzed, and the feasibility of the direct conversion of CH4 and CO2 to oxygenated compounds by means of a two-step reaction sequence at low temperature was studied. Preliminary experimental results show that the interaction of CH4 adspecies with CO2 on Cu–Co-based catalysts can produce various compounds such as alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, and cyclopentane derivatives. The product composition and distribution depend greatly on the way in which the feed is introduced, but acetic acid and a cyclopentane derivative are produced according to the three methods studied. The optimum temperature is 250°C and the optimum Cu/Co ratio is 5 for acetic acid production. FTIR measurements confirmed the formation of CHx and CHxO over the catalysts used.